


5 6 7 | The Umbrella Academy

by AthenaPantheon



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:54:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaPantheon/pseuds/AthenaPantheon
Summary: Vanya Hargreeves wasn't always isolated. But as her Five and Six left, she found herself far apart from the others.Crosspost from my Tumblr: slightly-sad-scribe
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Ben Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 6
Kudos: 116





	5 6 7 | The Umbrella Academy

When her brothers were alive, Seven wasn’t alone. 

Of course, she was isolated in the fact that she wasn’t like the others. That was something she was told nearly every day growing up. “I’m afraid there’s nothing special about you, Number Seven,” her father would say. “You can’t play with the others.” Despite that unfortunate fact, she was never alone. She had Five and Six. The three of them were inseparable, no matter how much their father told them that Vanya was to be left alone. She was given her own schedule and curriculum. She was kept busy. 

Her two brothers did their best to include her when they could. It wasn't anything amazing, however. During their short breaks after lunch, the three of them would curl up in the library. They didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering them. (Except maybe Klaus, who seemed to be attached at the hip with Ben.) Most of the time they would read, but sometimes they held a mini-concert for Vanya, or a lecture with Five, or an impromptu therapy session with Ben.

It started with Vanya going there alone, as she always did. The library was a quiet sanctuary for her. She could read or play or dream of having powers, and nobody would judge her. It was Ben who had joined her at first. He hadn’t meant to, he had said, and apologized profusely for ruining her peace. The apology was what shocked her. None of the others ever apologized to her. She let him stay that day, and the next, and the next, and soon it was tradition. They would sit and read, and sometimes they would talk. Their own secret book club.

That changed when Five disappeared. 

Five came next. He wanted somewhere to be away from the rest of their siblings, just like Vanya and Ben. Why exactly, Vanya was never sure. She supposed it had to do with the fact that she and Ben were below him. He was Number Five, so that meant he was more important than the quiet Number Six and the ordinary Number Seven. They didn’t pose a threat.

Five wasn’t as mean as he seemed, Vanya concluded. He actually listened to her opinions and acknowledged her presence. And Ben, while he was about as quiet as her, was kind. The three of them quickly became thick as thieves. 

Vanya stayed up every night, waiting for him to come home. She made him a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich, set out a glass of milk, and kept some lights on. She was terrified that he would home and think that they all left. For the first couple of nights, everyone stayed up with her. Luther was the first to leave, followed by Allison. Diego left a week later, mumbling about how Five was lucky to have escaped. Soon, it was only Vanya, Ben, and Klaus. But even they gave up after a while. 

Vanya grew a little more distant. She had just lost her best friend and brother. The ache in her heart never subsided, and Reginald upped her dosage. Even though she had Ben, she still felt lonely. He didn’t spend as much time as her, instead passing the days with Klaus. The years passed, and Five never returned. 

When Ben died, Vanya felt the space between herself and her family grow even bigger. “1 2 3 4 . . 7″. Without Ben and Five, she didn’t have anything keeping her tied to the Academy. She wasn’t special; she didn’t have powers. What use was she? Klaus was the only one she related to anymore, but she distanced herself from even him. He reminded her too much about Ben, and the thought of him brought tears to her eyes. Her medication increased.

The moment they turned eighteen, Vanya left the Academy. She lived in motels with the cash her father had given her, working odd jobs until she could afford to live in an apartment. The years passed, and her brothers and sister stopped checking up with her. And, honestly, Vanya didn’t care anymore. They hadn’t included her for years, so what place did they have in her life? At least, that’s what she told herself as she stayed awake at night. 

She eventually joined an orchestra, but she still found it impossible to connect to anyone. She was awkward, and quiet, and she felt panicked whenever she had to talk to people. Her medication was increased. She desperately wanted to blame her father or her siblings for this. It had to be their fault she was so messed up. That she couldn’t make any friends. 

Then, she saw a typewriter in the window of a shop.


End file.
